Brock Yates Leaves Car & Driver
Brock Yates, the trivia, blasphemy, and other unprintable news man reports about being fired in his January 30, 2008 article at www.thetruthaboutcars.com where Editor Csabe Csere of Car and Driver magazine “let him go”.
Automotive Tribune Editor (L) and Brock Yates (R) photo taken at the Amelia Island Concours in 2003.
Right now Brock seems to be in a position of re-assessment of options regarding which forum or podium he wants to ascend / tackle / affiliate because of the public’s shift from print to internet.
Brock is absolutely one of the preimminent automotive journalists in the world. I enjoyed his humor in Car & Driver starting in the late 1960’s. Brock is opinionated in a manner that probably turns many people off but his writing is always tied to freedom / USA / individual success / upbeat-at-heart even in tough times.
In the 1980’s he authored a largely underground publication Cannonball Express “Brock Yates’ Weekly Journal of Automotive News & Opinion”. Today, CE would definitley qualify as a blog type of document. In the 1980’s the term internet was not in most people’s dictionary. At that time I worked for General Motors Corporation and thoroughly enjoyed just about everything associated with GM accept for some aspects of their cars which was also addressed in the lead text from the February 12, 1985 issue of CE.
AXLE TRAMPS Spending a weekend behind the wheel of an Avis Chevy Citation, as I just did can sour one’s attitude about cars for months, especially when the particular gem of GM engineering has a terminally ill rear suspension and a sun visor that deployed in the driver’s eyes at the slightest suggestion of a bump.
Brock was the idea man behind the Cannonball Run movies with the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. In the first event Brock and Dan Gurney made the trip in the record time of 35 hours and 53 minutes in a Ferrari 365 GTB/4. Ultimately the Cannonball grew or morphed into the One Lap of America. Brock put together a Cannonball event in 1994 for 13 boats which was essentially no rules and as fast as possible from Miami to New York.
Brock, the Automotive Tribune . Com wishes you the best as you pursue Truth, Justice and the American Way no-matter where you go. As you proceed at warp speed may there be no mercy for the dreaded Anti-Destination League or ADL which represents those who poke along in the high speed lane on the freeway! We are sure you will leave them in your dust … er, print.
